Thomas & Friends: Between the Lines
by Hufflepuff Batboy
Summary: This is where my collection of original Thomas and Friends stories will go. TODAY: Arthur finds himself in an awkward predicament when he brings up someone from his past by the name of Clarence in "Who's Clarence?"!
1. Emily's Coach Trouble

**EMILY'S COACH TROUBLE**

**Written by Zack Wanzer and James Riddle**

**Set during series 18-19**

There are many types of coaches on the Island of Sodor. There are large bogie coaches like Gordon uses for the express as well as for other fast trains on the mainline, and there are also four-wheeled coaches like Annie and Clarabel as well as Henrietta.

But Emily's own coaches, Martha and Julian, are unique. They have six wheels each and are painted in a matching emerald green livery with yellow lining and white window surrounds. They became Emily's coaches after she saved Oliver and Thomas from having a nasty collision.

Although Emily loves her coaches, Martha and Julian can be condescending and rude to other coaches that they think are beneath them, most notably Annie and Clarabel. But Emily usually manages to keep them in check when they act out of line.

* * *

One day, Emily was at a signal when Toby and Henrietta passed. Emily blew her whistle at them to say hello, and Toby rang his bell in reply. But Martha and Julian weren't so welcoming.

"Ugh!" Martha scoffed. "Why on earth would anyone allow an old tool shed and hen house be put on rails?"

"They're better off in the fields where they belong," agreed Julian. Emily was cross with her coaches, especially upon seeing Toby's hurt expression.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" she scolded. "Making fun of others just because they look different. I'm very sorry about them, Toby and Henrietta," she apologized.

"I wish those two would be more respectful to others," said Toby when they were out of earshot.

"I feel sorry for Emily having to work with them," sighed Henrietta. "Only she has the patience to work with them." At last, the signal changed, and they were on their way again.

* * *

As they puffed along the mainline, Martha and Julian kept on insulting anyone Emily came across, whether they were engines, coaches or trucks. Oliver was collecting a goods train with his brakevan Toad when Emily passed.

"Hello, Oliver!" Emily called. "Hi, Toad!"

"'Toad'?" sniffed Martha. "A rather fitting name for such an ugly appearance." The brakevan felt very hurt by the coach's rude insult. Emily quickly apologized at the pair before glaring back at her own coaches.

* * *

The next one to be made fun of was Henry, who was pulling a long goods train.

"Be on the lookout for rain, Henry," teased Julian. "I heard there's a few tunnels available." Henry said nothing, but he blew steam at the coach crossly.

"How rude!" snorted Martha.

"You deserved that," said Emily crossly. The more her coaches threw insults at her friends, the more frustrated Emily became.

* * *

When Emily stopped at a station, Thomas rolled in with his coaches Annie and Clarabel.

"Hello, Emily," Thomas greeted.

"Hello, Thomas," said Emily, but she wasn't feeling cheerful. Before Thomas could ask what was wrong, Martha and Julian spoke up once more.

"Haven't abandoned those beach huts yet, darling?" asked Martha. "We'd have worked better with you when we first came." Annie and Clarabel were hurt by that remark, but Thomas was _livid_.

"Those 'beach huts', as you put them," the blue tank engine snarled, "are my closest companions! If it wasn't for them, I'd be lost and wouldn't know what to do! That's something that a pair of glorified milk vans like you wouldn't understand!" Now Martha and Julian were furious as well!

"_Glorified milk vans?!_" Julian nearly shrieked with fury. "Now listen here you-!" Emily's patience had worn thin by this point, and she blew her whistle loudly to get her coaches' attention.

"If you two won't stop being rude to my friends," she yelled, "I swear I will get Sir Topham Hatt to convert both of you into cattle wagons! I've pulled troublesome trucks that were less naughty than you two!"

Martha and Julian were shocked by Emily's scolding, and quickly went silent, especially after hearing her threat. They were still silent when Emily left the station, with Thomas following shortly afterward.

"You know it's bad when troublesome trucks act better than this," whispered Annie to Clarabel.

"Quite right, Annie," said Clarabel. "I hope those two will learn sense before it's too late."

* * *

But it was already too late. As Emily was returning her coaches to the yard, Duck was collecting his slip coaches.

"Oh, hello, quackers," Julian smirked mischievously. "Are you taking our engine's place at the sheds tonight?"

For Emily, that was the stone that broke the truck's frames. Insulting her friends was one thing, but bringing up the time that Duck had taken her place at Tidmouth sheds for a couple of nights - thereby leaving her without a berth - finally pushed her over the edge.

"_That's it!_" shouted Emily. "_I have had enough of you two!_" She rolled forward a bit, then reserved quickly, and gave her coaches a mighty biff! Martha and Julian found themselves rolling backwards. Emily had bumped them so hard that the momentum caused them to break through the buffers at the end of the siding. Both coaches were now derailed, with Julian tipping over onto his side.

"Ouch..." he groaned weakly. No one was hurt, but Emily was in shock over what had just happened. She didn't need to be told that she would be in for some trouble.

* * *

Later, Edward had arrived with Rocky to get Martha and Julian back onto their wheels. Julian's side was scratched up and some of his windows were broken. Sir Topham Hatt was very displeased with Emily's actions.

"I thought you were better than this, Emily," he said sternly. "Now your coaches will have to be repaired and we don't have that many spare coaches in the yard!"

"I'm sorry, sir," said Emily sadly. "But Martha and Julian were being rude to my friends, and when they brought up an incident between me and Duck, I... just lost my temper completely." Although the shed incident was a touchy subject for her, Emily still considered Duck to be her friend, and had since forgiven him for the misunderstanding.

"I see," said Sir Topham Hatt. He then turned his attention to the coaches.

"As for _you_," he snapped, "you two were worse! I will not tolerate rude behavior like this on _my_ railway! If you two do not shape up on your behavior, then I will see to it that you never run again."

Martha and Julian didn't say anything; they knew that they had pushed their engine too far. Despite today's behavior, Emily couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

* * *

The rest of the day had been uneventful for Emily, and soon, she'd returned to Tidmouth sheds with the other engines.

"Emily, I'm sorry I said rude things to your coaches," said Thomas as she backed into her berth. "That was uncalled for..."

"No, Thomas," Emily objected. "You had the right to say those things." And she told him about the incident.

"That's awful!" gasped Thomas.

"I know," sighed Emily. "While I was mad at them for what they said, I didn't mean to hurt them. And with Martha and Julian in the works, how am I going to take my passengers? There aren't many spare coaches available."

"About Martha and Julian, if you don't mind me asking," said Thomas, "when did they first start acting like they were above a lot of other coaches and even the trucks?"

Emily paused to think about how she was going to respond to Thomas' question.

"Well," she said at last, "when I first got them, they didn't seem so bad. But then I went thought that bossy phase, which, thankfully, I grew out of. Unfortunately, it seems as though it rubbed off on Martha and Julian."

"Talk about picking up bad habits," said Thomas.

"Indeed," Emily agreed. "Although I managed to grow up and act more responsible, Martha and Julian continued acting as though they were better than everyone else. And I don't like it at all."

"I would gladly let you work with Annie and Clarabel," Thomas offered, "but I have my own passenger duties to attend to as well."

"That's alright," sighed Emily. "I'm sure I'll figure something out."

* * *

At the Sodor Steamworks, Martha and Julian were on a siding, feeling very sorry for themselves.

"What do you think will happen to us?" asked Martha.

"Perhaps Sir Topham Hatt will turn us into hen houses or tool sheds," Julian shuddered.

"I hope not," shivered Martha. "I'm allergic to chickens. Why didn't we just listen to Emily and stop being so mean to others?"

"Why did I have to make that little wisecrack about Duck to her?" sighed Julian.

"Will Emily ever forgive us for being so thoughtless?" Martha asked.

Neither coach knew what to expect now. They were worried for what the future would bring for them.

* * *

The following morning, Emily woke up early so she could try to find another coach before her first passenger train of the day. But first, she decided to ask Gordon if he could spare an express coach for a few days.

"Gordon?" she whispered, having turned around to face him in his berth.

"What is it?" the big engine grumbled, not pleased at being woken up early.

"Is it alright with you if I borrowed one of your-" Emily began.

"Do I look like a tree that grows express coaches?" snapped Gordon.

"I'll take it as a 'no' then," sighed Emily, rolling her eyes and turning around again.

* * *

Soon, Emily had arrived at the coach sidings, where the four red coaches, Sean, Mick, Harry and Randolph, were waiting.

"Surprising to see you up early this morning, Emily luv," said Sean.

"Hey, guys," said Emily. "Are any of you free for the day?"

"Sorry," said Mick, "but we're scheduled for the local today."

"James will be our engine," added Randolph. "Though you could shunt us onto platform three if it's no bother."

"I'm not due out for another hour," said Emily, buffering up to them. "But thanks for letting me know what you were doing, anyway."

After she'd shunted the quartet onto platform three, Emily went back to the sidings to see if there were other available coaches, but had little luck.

"Thomas has already got Annie and Clarabel," she was saying to herself, "Duck has his slip coaches, and Toby's got Henrietta, and I don't think even she alone could handle all my passengers for the day. Just how hard is it to find at least one free coach, let alone two?" Emily was so lost in thought that she didn't notice herself bumping into something right in front of her.

"Oh! Do be careful, dear," said an elderly female voice. "I'm not exactly a spring chicken, you know."

"So sorry about that!" exclaimed Emily. "I was trying to find another coach for my stopping service today."

"Did you say another coach?" the voice inquired.

"Why, yes, I have," said Emily, surprised. Curiously, she buffered up to what it was she had bumped into, and once coupled up, slowly pulled it out of the carriage shed. It was a clerestory coach like Martha and Julian, but it was much longer, had eight wheels instead of six, and was painted in a chocolate and cream.

Emily was amazed; she'd never seen this coach before! Once she was uncoupled, she switched tracks so she could face the coach.

"Hello there," she said. "My name's Emily. What's yours?"

"I don't really have a name," said the coach, "but many call me Old Slow Coach because of my age and speed."

"How did you end up here?" asked Emily.

"Well, many years ago," said Old Slow Coach, "I was one of many coaches working for the North Western Railway as part of the express. But as time went by, my sisters and I fell out of use and the workmen said I wasn't useful anymore. I found myself in the scrapyards before I was found by two engines called Thomas and Percy. I was rescued and restored after a workman's hut caught fire and I became a home for them at the beach. After it was rebuilt, I became a coach again and was used by Percy as part of a good luck package for Mrs. Kyndley's daughter's wedding as the 'something old'."

"Why haven't I seen you before until now?" asked Emily.

"After the wedding," Old Slow Coach explained, "I was used mainly for maintenance trains and only allowed to go out when another engine was used to inspect the lines. Other times I was just kept in my sidings in case I was needed elsewhere."

"Well, would you like to come out with me today?" Emily offered. "My coaches are at the Steamworks for repairs and I need someone to fill in for them."

"Oh, that would be lovely," sighed Old Slow Coach happily. Emily buffered up to the elderly coach again and brought her to the station platform.

"All aboard!" Emily called to her passengers. The passengers all boarded Old Slow Coach, the guard blew his whistle, and away they went.

* * *

Emily trundled along the line with Old Slow Coach.

"Oh, this is just wonderful," the coach sighed happily. "I can't remember the last time I got to see so many beautiful sights."

"I can't remember the last time I had a run this peaceful," smiled Emily. Many heads were turned when they saw the elderly Great Western coach being pulled by the Great Northern single. It was a most peculiar sight indeed.

* * *

Soon, Emily and Old Slow Coach came to a stop at Elsbridge station. Just then, Thomas came up with Annie and Clarabel in tow.

"Hi, Thomas!" Emily called cheerfully. "Look who I'm pulling today." Thomas was surprised to see who it was.

"Hello, Thomas," said Old Slow Coach. "It's been ages, hasn't it?"

"Old Slow Coach!" gasped Thomas happily. "It's great to see you again! How have you been?"

"Well, I had been feeling lonely lately," Old Slow Coach admitted. "Not much work to do given that the other coaches were used more than I was."

"Well, it's good seeing you out and about again," said Thomas. "I hope we'll see you out on the mainline more often."

"Quite right," said Annie.

"Certainly better behaved than Martha and Julian," agreed Clarabel.

"Martha and Julian?" pondered Old Slow Coach. "Who are they?"

"My coaches," explained Emily, and she told her new friend about what had happened.

"Oh deary me!" gasped Old Slow Coach. "That's not the way to behave."

"You're telling us," muttered Annie and Clarabel.

"Coaches that troublesome need discipline," Old Slow Coach insisted.

"Do you think you'll help me to change their ways when they come back?" asked Emily.

"Of course I'll help," promised Old Slow Coach. "When Martha and Julian are repaired, I'll make sure they're the best coaches they can possibly be."

* * *

The rest of Emily and Old Slow Coach's run for the day went by very smoothly. The next engine they met was Percy, who was delivering the mail.

"Old Slow Coach?!" cried Percy excitedly. "Hello! I haven't seen you for a long time!"

"I haven't seen you since you suggested that I be part of the Kyndley wedding good luck package," said Old Slow Coach. "How have things been?"

"Life's been rather eventful," said Percy. And be began telling Old Slow Coach about some of the misadventures he and Thomas had been through.

"...and without another thought," Percy went on, "I pushed James through the clay pits to escape from the landslide. And during the chase, I got caught in the rubble, and was almost hit by a large rock! But thankfully, Marion caught it just in time."

"Oh my!" Old Slow Coach gasped in amazement. "That must have been quite the adventure."

"It was," said Percy. "And that rock that almost hit me was actually a dinosaur fossil."

"Well, there's never a dull moment on this railway," Emily added.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Emily and Old Slow Coach met with many other engines, some of which were pleased to see the old coach out and about again - particularly Duck and Oliver, especially at having to see another Great Western member on the railway - whilst others got to meet her for the first time.

* * *

But all too soon, the day was over, and Emily took Old Slow Coach back to Knapford yards.

"Thank you for the lovely day out today, Emily," said Old Slow Coach. "I haven't had this many passengers wanting to ride in me for a long time."

"Well, I was happy to help you out," smiled Emily, but then she frowned sadly. "But all the same," she said, "it'll be a shame when Martha and Julian return from the works and you'll probably end up on the sidings again unless called upon." Then suddenly, Emily had an idea. "What if... Old Slow Coach, would you like to be one of my coaches?"

The Great Western coach was surprised at the question Emily had asked her. Old Slow Coach knew that a lot of people had come to see her, and she enjoyed going outside again and stretching her wheels. But she wasn't sure herself if she would be used for other duties outside of passenger work. Then again, Emily couldn't be the only one to try and keep Martha and Julian in line...

"Emily," she said at last, "I would love to work with you again in the future." Emily was so ecstatic with Old Slow Coach's reply that she blew her whistle in excitement!

"I can't wait to work with you again either!" she exclaimed. "Although, we can't just keep calling you 'Old Slow Coach'. Would you like to have a name for yourself?"

"Were there any you had in mind?" asked Old Slow Coach. Emily thought about this for a moment before finally deciding.

"How do you feel about... Gladys?" she asked.

"Oh, that's perfect!" said Gladys, the coach formerly known as Old Slow Coach. "Although in case you're asking, I'm perfectly happy with chocolate and cream as my colors. Please don't ask too much from me."

"Okay then, Old Slo... sorry. Gladys, ahem," said Emily, quickly correcting herself. "That's going to take a while to get used to."

* * *

A few days later, Martha and Julian were finally repaired and Emily had been sent to pick them up at the Steamworks. Gladys had joined Emily for the journey.

"Who's that coach behind you?" asked Martha.

"You haven't replaced us, have you?" gasped Julian, fearing for the worst.

"No, you two," chuckled Emily. "Martha, Julian, this is our new friend for our passenger runs, Gladys."

"Emily told me about you two," said Gladys sternly. "I must say that your behavior last week sets a bad example to all coaches. And I hope that you'll take Emily's bumping of you two as a learning experience to be better coaches."

"We will," said Martha, sounding genuinely ashamed. "Emily, we'd love to tell every one of your friends that we're sorry for being rude to them."

"...and?" asked Emily with a raised eyebrow.

"And we're sorry for bringing up that incident with Duck," added Julian. "I thought I was making a little joke here, but I didn't know that I'd push you that far."

"I'll forgive you," said Emily. "Just don't let it happen again." With that, she collected the two coaches and set off with her train.

* * *

Emily and the three coaches arrived at Knapford station where Thomas was waiting. The little blue tank engine, Annie and Clarabel weren't too pleased to see Martha and Julian, however.

"So," Annie sniffed, "you two are back in service, are you?"

"I'm surprised you two weren't turned into beach huts for being so horrid to us," Clarabel added.

"Don't worry, you two; they won't be," assured Gladys. "Not as long as I'm keeping them under control."

"You mean you're working with Emily permanently from now on?" asked Thomas.

"That's right," said Emily. "Gladys will make sure these two behave themselves from now on."

"Gladys?" Thomas, Annie and Clarabel were confused.

"That's my new name," Gladys explained. "If you ask me, it's much nicer than 'Old Slow Coach'."

"That'll take some time to get used to," admitted Thomas.

"As for you two," Gladys spoke to Martha and Julian, "isn't there something you wish to tell these three?"

"Oh, yes," said Martha. "We're very sorry for how abhorrently we acted to you three."

"We had no right to behave that way," Julian added. "What we did was wrong."

"Well, it's a start," Thomas admitted.

* * *

Every time Emily met another engine, Gladys would make sure that Martha and Julian apologized for their behavior. Like Thomas, they didn't forgive the coaches immediately, but they did at least accept their apology and acknowledge that the two emerald green coaches were starting to change their attitudes for the better.

* * *

At the end of the day, Emily left her coaches in their siding.

"Well, you three, today went by very well for all of us," she said to them.

"Especially since we've had more passengers than before," said Julian.

"No, the first day of us turning over a new leaf," said Martha. "Although having Gladys around did help."

"Well, there is that," Gladys chuckled. "I'm simply looking forward to another day of working with you three."

"So do I," said Emily.

* * *

On the way back to Tidmouth Sheds, she met up with Thomas.

"This sure has been quite eventful," Emily said.

"I'll say," said Thomas. "You know, Emily, I think this whole experience was a blessing in disguise."

"How so?" asked Emily.

"Well," explained Thomas, "if you hadn't damaged Martha and Julian by accident, then you never would have needed to find spare coaches. And that means you never would have found Old Slo- er, I mean, Gladys. And without Gladys, those two would probably still be acting rude to others."

"I hadn't thought of it that way before," Emily admitted. "Maybe some day, you can find a new friend for Annie and Clarabel to take on your passenger runs."

"Well, I wouldn't want Annie and Clarabel to feel jealous," Thomas admitted. The two laughed and carried on back to the sheds.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Well, here we are then! At last, there's my first original Thomas story based upon the seasons 17-21 era, and possibly the first of a set of stories. I imagine this being set either in season 18 or 19, and it could easily be split into two individual stories, being called _Troublesome Coaches_ and _A New Friend for Emily_ respectively. For my takes on the characters featured, Old Slow Coach is given a proper name, Gladys, and she's very much the leader of the coaches at Knapford yards, taking no nonsense form the younger coaches and keeps them in line.

Next, there's Emily's coaches, Martha and Julian. With coaches having faces before and after them, I find it strange that Emily's coaches didn't have faces, names or personalities. This should hopefully fix that; as far as personality goes, they start off as rude and snobbish to anyone they've met (mostly due to Emily's bossy phase rubbing off on them), but after their accident and beginning to work with Gladys, Martha and Julian are starting to change their ways for the better.

Lastly, there's Emily herself. My take on her is that while she is essentially the big sister figure of Tidmouth, to make her stand out from Edward, she can have a bit of a temper if pushed too far and will get harsh with whoever is annoying her to begin with, intentionally or not. However, Emily will always apologize for getting upset, even though there are instances when her anger is justified. If you want to get on her good side, don't bring up the shed incident from Duck and the Slip Coaches. Also, she doesn't like being reminded of her bossy phase from seasons 8-12.

So what other stories will I write up in the future? Honestly, I don't know at this point, but I do have some ideas in mind. We shall have to see what I can come up with...


	2. Trouble on the Train

**TROUBLE ON THE TRAIN**

**Written by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens**

**Set during series 6-7**

"Oh, not this again, Nancy, please!" protested Skarloey. Nancy, the daughter of Mr. Rushen, one of the Skarloey Railway's guards, was once again giving Skarloey's brass a good polish; tomorrow, he was to take a special train along the line, and the visitors had requested for him specifically.

"Come now, Skarloey," Rheneas teased. "A little polish never hurt any engine. If anything, I'd say you're afraid about what the passengers would think about you."

"I am _not_," insisted Skarloey. "I could take the old coaches covered in coal dust, quarry dust and oil and I could care less about how I looked, just as long as my passengers get to their destination."

"If that was the case, then I'd look as though I've worked a whole week without a bath," Nancy giggled. She was used to hearing Skarloey's protests about being polished. "Just imagine what Meghan would say if she saw me!"

"Pardon me, but who's this Meghan you speak of?" It was Duke who had spoken up; until now, he had stayed silent, listening to Skarloey and Rheneas making friendly jabs at one another, the latter more so.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" said Nancy. "Meghan's this girl who goes to the same school as I, and she and I have been girlfriends for the past few months."

"You must be very close then, I reckon," smiled Duke.

"Oh, that's not quite what she meant," chuckled Skarloey. "They're closer than that."

Duke was puzzled at first by what Skarloey had meant, though he didn't need the red saddle tank engine to clarify what he was saying.

"Wait, hold on a minute," Duke said at last. "You mean to tell me, Nancy, that you and Meghan… are lovers?!"

Nancy suddenly stopped polishing Skarloey's brass and nearly fell off the ladder in surprise. Luckily, Skarloey's driver was there to help her regain her balance.

"Y-yes," she said at last. "We are. But I'm not exclusively attracted to girls, as I did find a few boys to be cute, but Meghan and I… one day, we found out that… we just clicked."

Duke didn't know what to say next.

"You're not telling all of us, Granpuff," remarked Sir Handel, "that you have a thing against Nancy dating other girls, do you?"

"Wh-what? N-no, I don't, Falcon," spluttered Duke indignantly. "I-I just find it a bit perplexing is all. I never knew that was a thing back on our old railway."

"I think you've been stuck in that shed a bit too long," Sir Handel muttered to himself; he'd heard this sort of talk before. The little blue engine couldn't really dwell on his and Peter Sam's past mistake now, and figured it would be best to give Duke an explanation of what he meant.

"Sometime before you were found, Granpuff," Sir Handel began, "I was taking out the old coaches…"

* * *

On that day, some time after his incident with George the steamroller, Sir Handel was taking the old coaches, Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice. They arrived at Glennock station to pick up some passengers. Among them was a little girl, no older than ten, accompanied by two men.

"It's such a lovely day today, isn't it, Alex?" said one of them. "Just you, me and little Cindy here."

"Indeed it is, Gerald," said his husband as they boarded Agnes, the first class coach. Almost immediately, she felt unclean.

"Guard! Guard!" she shrieked furiously. "Get these passengers out of me!"

Cindy looked at both of her fathers with a look of shock. "Daddy, papa, why is that coach being rude to us?" Before either Alex or Gerald could respond, the guard had come up to Agnes to see what was the problem.

"You've done nothing wrong," the guard said calmly. "Please, stay and enjoy the ride. I'm not sure what got into Agnes today."

"It's these filthy, disgusting excuses for human beings, that's what!" shrieked Agnes. "It's a sin to fall in love with anyone of the same gender! If they're riding this train, then I refuse to move! So there!"

Sir Handel and the other coaches were shocked at this.

"Agnes!" cried Ruth. "That's just rude. These passengers are just like any respectable people."

"Besides, you're scaring that poor child," added Lucy, "and possibly other children aboard the train."

"Ever heard of respect?" chipped in Jemima. "You're not doing a good job showing it!"

"I knew you were a rotten old cattle truck, Agnes," added Sir Handel, quite possibly the most furious out of them, "but this is a new low, even for you!"

"Oh, and that's coming from an engine who nearly lost to a steamroller?" retorted Agnes.

"Agnes, let's not get into banter right now," Beatrice was trying to reason. "We've got work to do."

But it was no use; Sir Handel was so infuriated by the memory of his run-in with George that he bumped Agnes hard, not only causing her to derail, but also damaging her buffers in the process.

"Good grief, Agnes!" scolded Ruth. "If you kept your mouth shut, this never would have happened."

The passengers inside Agnes weren't hurt, but they were badly shaken. The delay meant that Sir Handel was late for Henry's connecting train. But the little blue saddle tank engine wasn't worried about that; he was wondering what Mr. Percival would say to him once he'd found out.

* * *

At the sheds that evening, he _did_ find out.

"Sir Handel, please explain to me why Agnes' buffers were damaged," he boomed.

"The old cattle tr- uh, _Agnes_ got into a bit of a hissy fit all because two men were partners," Sir Handel explained. "I may have caused trouble in the past sir, but I never judge anyone by their lifestyle."

Mr. Percival, as well as the other engines at the sheds (barring Rheneas, who was still at the works at the time), gaped in shock.

"I didn't know Agnes was _that_ judgmental," gasped Skarloey. "It's not right to judge people based on who they like. I'll have to speak with her later."

"Quite right, Skarloey," said Mr. Percival. "I understand your frustration, Sir Handel, and I do agree with you that bullying passengers for who they like is wrong. I have spoken with them and personally apologized for the incident. However," he continued, "you need to learn to control your temper, Sir Handel."

"Noted, sir," the blue engine said quietly. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"You wouldn't believe how much I wanted her scrapped following that incident," said Sir Handel, finishing his story. "Though Skarloey thought that was too harsh a punishment, and so I suggested she be converted into a stationary building instead."

"I… see," Duke responded after a moment. "I wasn't trying to be rude, I was just surprised, that's all. I personally support the choice that couple made, and the one that Nancy has made with Meghan. If it makes them happy, then there's nothing wrong with it."

"Thank you, Duke," said Nancy. She'd been quiet the whole time Sir Handel told his story. "Dad was on the train that day when the incident took place," she added. "He was quite flustered about it when he got home."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised about that," Rusty put in, having been quiet during the whole discussion. "Why can't the world just be accepting of things like that?"

"Who knows, Rusty?" sighed Skarloey. "We still accepted you after your rebuild."

"Er… what rebuild?" asked Duke curiously.

"This happened shortly after the rescuers went looking for you for a few days," Peter Sam admitted.

"When I was first built and eventually arrived here," said Rusty, "I was actually a girl, but I felt more like a boy instead. It was honestly kind of strange. But even before my rebuild, the others were very respectful and called me by male pronouns, so I at least felt comfortable in my first year or so."

"Maybe except for dealing with a certain rock 'n' rolling engine," smirked Peter Sam.

"I heard that!" grunted Duncan from nearby. "Even I didn't go _that_ far!"

"Well, okay, we'll give him that," Rusty said calmly. "Regardless of everything, I did feel more at ease when I got rebuilt."

"I'm glad to hear that, Rusty," smiled Duke. "I guess I've got a few things to get used to, even though I've been out and about for a couple of years."

"That's what we're here for, Granpuff," chuckled Peter Sam, exchanging a wink with Sir Handel.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to you two being this cheeky," Rheneas said quietly.

"Well, I believe it's getting late, everyone," said Skarloey. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, Duke was taking his passenger run over the bridge with two bogie coaches called Gertrude and Millicent. Even now, it still amazed him as to how similar yet different the Skarloey line was to the Mid-Sodor line he was so used to.

"Still lots of hills to climb," he said to himself with a smile, "and I don't believe the Mid-Sodor line had a waterfall."

"It sure didn't, at least not one like this," said Gertrude. "It's just beautiful. Even after seeing it for years, I still marvel at it."

"I sure hope the passengers are having as good a time as us," Millicent smiled.

* * *

They were indeed, and among them were Nancy and her girlfriend Meghan, a teenage girl with shoulder length black hair with a dyed red streak. The two girls smiled lovingly at each other, but they had failed to notice a passenger glaring suspiciously at them.

"You're so lucky to be able to work on such a beautiful railway," said Meghan. "I wish I could work closer to you sometime."

"I know the feeling, Meg," said Nancy. "I grew up around the little engines, sometimes seeing my dad while he was at work. It was through him that I work part time, mostly cleaning the engines. Especially Skarloey," she added with a cheeky giggle.

"How can a wise old engine be so cranky sometimes," Meghan laughed, remembering all the stories she'd been hearing.

"Oh, did I tell you of when Skarloey was first brought to Sodor?" Nancy smirked. "It is hilarious."

"No, I don't think you have," Meghan admitted. "What's so funny about it?"

"Oh, sweetie, where do I start?" Nancy tapped her chin thoughtfully, but just as she was about to begin the tale, it happened.

* * *

Duke was cheerfully puffing along when he heard a cry of pain coming from Millicent, and then an angry male voiced shouting at someone.

"Driver, stop the train!" cried Duke urgently. "I think something's happened!"

"You're right, Duke," Millicent called up. "Someone's lost it in here." Quickly, Duke's driver slowed the train down to a stop, and the fireman jumped down to rush over to Millicent.

"Millicent, what's happened in here?" asked the fireman, opening her door.

"I… I don't know," she gulped. "Someone just sounds angry for some reason."

Duke's fireman looked more closely to see Nancy clutching the back of her head in pain, and a man behind her and Meghan angrily shouting obscenities at them (I daren't repeat what he said). Nancy was in a bit of pain to even notice, but Meghan was angry with how the man was acting.

"Who do you think you are, harming Nancy like that?!" she snapped. "Let her go right now!"

"Oh yeah?" retorted the angry man. "Who's going to stop me?"

"Mister, you'd better leave my daughter alone or else you'll be in more trouble than you are!" It was Nancy's father, Mr. Rushen, who had spoken to the angry man, and to say he was furious would be an understatement. "My daughter has done nothing wrong. She was just having a conversation."

"Do you want us to call the authorities on you?" came Duke's fireman, standing right by Mr. Rushen's side. "I can rush to the nearest phone box and do that right now!"

"Nancy, dear, are you alright?" asked Mr. Rushen. Nancy looked up to see her father's concerned face.

"I… I think so, dad," she groaned, "but whatever it was that hit me…" She removed her hand to reveal that a bit of blood was on it.

"I'll call the hospital as well," Duke's fireman said, going out of Millicent to do just that.

"Thanks," Meghan said gratefully. "Oh, Nancy…" She looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry you got hurt…"

"Meghan," came Millicent's voice, "it's not your fault. You tried to help your girlfriend. That was a very brave thing to do."

"You should be proud of yourself," added Gertrude. "Being able to fight for what's right is a great trait to have."

"Indeed it is," agreed Duke. "And looking out for those you love would certainly suit His Grace."

Both Nancy and Meghan couldn't help but give a small giggle at Duke's catchphrase, but they also knew he and the coaches had a point.

"Thanks, you three," smiled Meghan. "I'll remember that, I promise."

"And so will I," agreed Nancy. "I love you, Meghan, and no amount of ridicule will change that."

"Agreed," nodded Meghan, "I love you too, Nancy."

Just then, they heard two sets of sirens pull up. One was a bright white ambulance, and the other a black police car. Mr. Rushen then presented the police with the man who had assaulted Nancy while Meghan brought her girlfriend over to the paramedics.

"Get better soon, Nancy," Duke called to her. He wished he, Gerturde and Millicent could go with Nancy to make sure she was okay, but the hospital wouldn't fit an engine and two coaches. Plus, they also had other passengers to get to the next station.

"Let's make up for lost time for Nancy instead," suggested Getrude.

"That's a good way to put it, sister," Millicent agreed, and the trio were off.

* * *

Duke had made up some lost time when they arrived at Lakeside station. The passengers knew they were late, but after hearing about what had happened, they couldn't be cross.

"It's like when he held onto Sir Handel on the Mountain Road," one said. "Our Duke is always looking out for others, whether they be people or engines."

"Not just engines looking out for others, eh, you two?" Duke looked back at Gertrude and Millicent with a smile.

"Nope," giggled Getrude. "Coaches and people do that too. I'd be glad to have Meghan back on board the train with us one day."

"For sure," agreed Millicent. "I only hope Agnes learns her lesson about people of the same gender being couples."

* * *

Millicent was right; when Skarloey and the old coaches had heard about what had happened, the old red saddle tank engine glared back at Agnes.

"Now you see why we look out for our passengers, regardless of who they love?" he asked sternly.

Agnes was quiet for a moment, thinking back to her harsh treatment of the couple that had boarded her train back then.

"I… was being awful," she said quietly. "Judging them solely because of who they chose to date. Just like how that man was being awful to Nancy and Meghan." Agnes paused for a moment. "I… I'm sorry for all those times where I've been rude to people because of that."

"So you should be," Skarloey sighed. "If I see that couple and their daughter again, I'll tell them you said sorry, but don't be surprised if they continue to avoid you for a while."

"Noted," Agnes agreed.

"I hope Nancy gets better soon," said Lucy. "Do you know how serious the injury was?"

"Driver said that the man who assaulted Nancy threw something hard that hit her in the back of the head, causing her to bleed; says it may have been a rock."

"Oh, ouch!" gasped Ruth. "The poor thing. I know we get hurt when something, especially rocks, breaks our glass but a human's head would have been in even more pain."

"You're telling me," agreed Jemima. "That man should be in prison for life."

"I pray that he is," Beatrice snorted. "No one should ever get away with harming a person in such a way, especially after insulting them for their sexuality."

* * *

That evening, the engines were told that Nancy's injury wasn't too severe, though she would have to stay at home for a few days in order to recover. As for the man who assaulted her, he had been charged for his crime and sent to prison for a few years.

"At least we won't have to deal with people like him after that," snorted Sir Handel.

"Why would anyone be so cruel to do that?" asked Peter Sam. "Poor Nancy."

"I'm afraid that is the way of the world, Stuart," sighed Duke. "We shall see her again in a few days' time, and perhaps we'll get to know Meghan more."

"Yeah, Meghan sounds really nice," agreed Rusty. "I wonder if she's going to work here sometime."

"Maybe, if we're lucky, she might," Rheneas smiled. "But for now, I think it's best we give her as smooth rides on our trains as possible."

* * *

As it turns out, the little engines didn't have to wait too long the next time they saw Meghan. The first to meet her was Rusty, who was filling in for Sir Handel because his water feed pipe was blocked.

"Hello," Meghan called when Rusty pulled into the platform. "You must be one of the engines Nancy told me about. Rusty, right?"

"Yes," Rusty replied. "You're Meghan, correct?"

"That's right," the black-haired girl replied.

"A pleasure to meet you, Meghan," smiled Rusty. "Nancy has spoken many positive things about you."

"Likewise about you and your friends," Meghan smiled. "And judging by what I saw from Duke the other day, I know I'm in good hands with you guys… er, good _buffers_. You know what I mean."

"I understand," chuckled Rusty. "The engines here are all very supportive of just about anything that comes up. I mean… I did have my rebuild a few years back." He then explained what he told Duke a few days ago.

"And the others didn't question it at all." Meghan was impressed. "That's really sweet, Rusty. I definitely know I'm in a caring environment now."

"You sure are, Meghan," said Rusty. "I can't wait for you to meet the others."

* * *

The other engines were glad to meet Meghan, even Duncan. She was a bit rough around the edges compared to Nancy, but Meghan still had a big heart and they appreciated her company very much. It almost felt as though Nancy was still there with them.

* * *

A few days later, Nancy returned to the sheds.

"Welcome back, Nancy," smiled Peter Sam. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than I was after being attacked," said Nancy. "I'm just glad to get out of the house again and see you all."

"It's great to see you out and about again," Sir Handel smiled. "Meghan has been good company here too, but we missed you."

"And I bet you missed me giving you a polish, didn't you, Skarloey?" Nancy smirked.

Skarloey just rolled his eyes at the remark. "That is one thing I'd safely say I _didn't_ miss."

The other engines and the two human girls all just laughed, and even Skarloey couldn't help but join in too. Despite everything, he had to admit, it was good to have Nancy back, and Meghan was more than welcome to join her at the Skarloey Railway anytime.

* * *

"The engines have been wonderful," Meghan told Nancy. "I've never met more supportive and caring individuals in my life."

"They are special," Nancy grinned. "And we are both lucky to have them in our lives." She then wrapped her arm around Meghan and held her close, with Meghan responding in kind.

"And we are lucky to have each other too," Meghan smiled, as they leaned in for a kiss. "I love you, Nancy."

"I love you too, Meghan," Nancy replied, both girls well content.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Wow, it's been ages since my last original Thomas story here, but at last, we return with what I've decided to call my head-canon, the Seventyverse! I've wanted to write a Duke-centric story for a while now, and hopefully I've managed to do him justice here. I've even given Sir Handel and Rusty supporting roles as well, especially when you consider how underutilized both Sir Handel and Duke especially were in the model series.

As neither Sir Handel nor Duke appeared in series 5-7, I thought it was fair to have this story take place during that period. (Side note: the Skarloey episodes are shuffled around, and Rheneas is not around in stories prior to _Gallant Old Engine_ as he should be at the works during that time; same thing with Duke not being found yet.) Also, Nancy is a teenager during this period, and it was a lot of fun to write for someone who was a minor character in the stories. And yes, my take on Rusty is that he is a trans-female-to-male. The little diesel was accidentally referred to as female in the American dub of series nine, before he reverted back to being male per his Railway Series depiction. I'm not quite sure how an engine can change their gender during a rebuild - in Henry's case, he stayed male post-rebuild - but I don't want to delve too much into that. And speaking of the Railway Series, I've included Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima, Beatrice, Gertrude and Millicent into my head-canon. It'd be great to see coaches with faces again on the Skarloey Railway, if only to provide more female presence on the line; the latter two were added in by Rachel. Let's just assume that they were there the whole time.

More stories to come!


	3. Who's Clarence?

**WHO'S CLARENCE?**

**Written by Zack Wanzer and James Riddle**

**Set during series 13-20**

Arthur is a big red tank engine who runs on the branch line between Ballahoo and Norramby, on the eastern side of Sodor. He's a well-behaved engine who takes great pride and responsibility in his duties, although he can be a bit persnickety at times about how things should be run. Arthur runs the line with a yellow tender engine called Molly; by contrast to Arthur's occasional fussiness and tendency to nitpick the littlest things, Molly is a much quieter, sensitive engine, but she will sometimes serve as a peacekeeper if arguments escalate.

The Norramby line is on a coastal run leading up to the fishing village. Most engines find the scent of fish awful, but Arthur was one of the few who didn't mind it much; some deliveries of fish were brought by him from Norramby up to Vicarstown for deliveries beyond Sodor on the Flying Kipper. This did not happen on a daily basis, but Arthur still relishes in the duty regardless.

* * *

One afternoon, Arthur was waiting at Vicarstown with a passenger train for Norramby. A signal had failed, and Arthur was getting anxious about departing on time.

"Oh, please hurry up," he begged. "I'm going to be late."

Dennis the diesel was shunting trucks in the yard and couldn't resist having a wisecrack about Arthur's situation.

"Afraid that you'll miss seeing the fish swim around the harbor, Artie?" he joked.

"You know I hate being called that, Dennis," retorted Arthur. "And besides, I pride myself on running my trains on time, even if my motion was shattered."

"Pride's just nothing but an excuse for engines to show off," snorted Dennis. "They push themselves too hard to look fancy, then they get in trouble. You oughta take my advice and just learn to take life more easy."

"That's what happened with someone I knew back on my old line called Clarence," said Arthur. "Got him into trouble in the end."

"Clarence?" Dennis wondered. "Who's Clarence?"

Before Arthur could answer, the signal finally dropped.

"I, erm, have to head off now," he said. "Perhaps I'll tell you the next time I stop here!" And the red tank engine puffed away before Dennis had a chance to reply.

"I wonder what's eating him," pondered the gray diesel.

* * *

As Arthur puffed along the Norramby line, he soon quickly forgot about the little slip-up he'd made about mentioning this Clarence engine, whoever he was.

"Must keep to time, must keep to time," he said to himself. Arthur had made up some lost time as he reached Ballahoo station.

"Just a few minutes late," Arthur gasped to himself, looking at the clock. "No matter; I'll have made up for it when I reach Norramby."

At that moment, Molly pulled in with a train of her own.

"Hello, Arthur," she greeted. "How have you been?"

"Doing quite well, thank you," said Arthur, looking rather distracted.

"Erm… is everything alright?" asked Molly. "You're not feeling yourself today."

"I, er, think I've got something loose," Arthur lied. "I'll have to visit Victor later on."

"You look in perfect shape to me," said Molly. "Though I reckon a quick trip to the Steamworks wouldn't hurt any engine."

"I'll bet you anything that James is once again there to have his paintwork polished," Arthur joked. Molly chuckled at this comment. Before long, the guard blew his whistle, and she was ready to go.

"I'll see you later, Arthur," Molly promised, and puffed away.

* * *

Molly had made good time when she arrived at Vicarstown station. As her passengers were disembarking from the coaches, she went to the turntable so she could be turned around for the return journey. The yellow tender engine noticed Dennis shunting in the yards, looking perplexed.

"Is something the matter, Dennis?" Molly wondered.

"It's Arthur," admitted Dennis. "Earlier, he mentioned something about an engine named Clarence. Then when I wanted to find out more, he seemed relieved to leave."

Molly raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "That's unlike Arthur to act like this," she said. "Maybe it's about someone from his past he doesn't like to bring up."

"You work with him every day on the line," said Dennis. "Surely he would have trusted you enough by now to tell you this kind of thing."

"Arthur's never mentioned anyone by the name of Clarence to me all this time I've worked with him," said Molly. "It's time we found out why."

* * *

Meanwhile, Arthur was shunting trucks at the Fishing Village. He was trying hard to forget about the whole Clarence ordeal, but he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He was so distracted that he gave his trucks an extra hard bump!

"Hey! Watch it!" the truck in front of him snapped. "You trying to spill some of our fish onto the ground?"

"Oh, sorry!" Arthur cried sheepishly. "I don't know what is up with me today."

Once he had collected his bearings, Arthur steamed away with his train, hoping not to have another mishap like that again.

* * *

That evening, Arthur returned to the sheds.

"All I need now is a good, long sleep," he yawned. He had barely fallen asleep when Molly backed onto the berth next to his.

"Tiring day, Arthur?" she asked.

"Oh yes, it was," the big red tank engine replied, not even opening his eyes. "And tomorrow will be another day of hard work."

"You say that every evening," Molly mused. She paused before choosing her words carefully for what she was about to say next. "You know something that I really don't like?"

"What?" asked Arthur.

"Dishonesty," Molly admitted. "Whenever someone lies to me, or hides a very serious secret, it makes me feel betrayed because dishonesty is sometimes a sign that someone isn't really that good a friend towards you. Let me give you an example. Imagine an engine is being bullied. Instead of reporting the bullies, that engine decides to keep the problem a secret, and begins to make the other engines miserable in a misguided attempt of self-defense. It's that type of dishonesty that can make a problem worse than it starts out, and turn a good engine bad. That's why it is always best to tell the truth."

Arthur had been rather quiet during Molly's speech. It would seem this had given him something to think about. Believing that her words hadn't worked, Molly began to close her eyes for the night when…

"Molly?" The yellow engine opened her eyes again and looked towards Arthur. "Before I give you my explanation, what was it that prompted you to tell me that?"

"I spoke with Dennis at Vicarstown and he said you mentioned someone by the name of Clarence," explained Molly. "Who was Clarence, Arthur?"

Arthur hesitated for what seemed like an eternity. At last, he responded with, "You're looking at him, Molly."

Molly looked confused. "But how?" she asked. "Isn't your name Arthur?"

"Well, yes, but I wasn't called Arthur when I first entered service," the red tank engine explained. "And, believe it or not, I was a tender engine back then as well, a far different engine from what I am today."

"Whatever happened to you?" Molly asked.

"When I was called Clarence, I was a very reckless and irresponsible engine when I was first built," said Arthur. "I sometimes didn't want to even do certain jobs and tried to get engines on my old railway to do it for me instead. That would one day get me into trouble; I got into a severe accident resulting in my old tender being scrapped. I thought I would never work again when that happened."

"How awful…" murmured Molly.

"But fate decided that I deserved a second chance," Arthur continued. "So I was rebuilt into a tank engine. Seeing this as a chance to change my life for the better, I renamed myself Arthur, requested a different coat of paint, and dedicated myself into becoming a hard worker who followed all the rules so as to redeem myself for my past behavior."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Molly asked.

"Because I was ashamed of how I used to act," Arthur admitted. "And I was afraid that if anyone found out about my past, they would make fun of me."

There was silence once again. It seemed like ages before Molly finally made her response.

"Arthur," she said, "I would never make fun of you for who you were. If anything, I too was a different engine before I came to Sodor."

"You were?" asked Arthur with surprise. "Did you used to be a tank engine before being rebuilt?"

"Not like that," said Molly, chuckling slightly. "When I first entered service, my name was Marvin." She paused to let Arthur register what she was implying about herself.

"You… you used to be a boy?"

"And I was rather unhappy during that time," Molly admitted. "I even contemplated self-scrapping at my lowest.

"No!" gasped Arthur. "You didn't!"

"I'm afraid so," confessed Molly. "But one day, while I was being given an overhaul, I woke up and realized that somehow, the workmen had changed me from a boy to a girl. After that, I changed my name to Molly, and I began to feel much happier."

"Have you told anyone about it when you first came to Sodor?" asked Arthur.

"Well… I think I told a few engines," admitted Molly. "But they never judged me for it. And I'm sure that they won't judge you if you tell them your secret as well."

"I… I suppose so," Arthur decided. "But why don't I tell them tomorrow?"

"Good idea," smiled Molly. With that, the two friends called it a night, and went to sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, however, things began to go wrong. Arthur puffed into Vicarstown station when he saw Rosie.

"Rosie?" he asked with surprise. "What're you doing here? Aren't you meant to be working on Thomas' line?"

"I was," Rosie admitted, "but then Dennis told me about this new engine Clarence coming, so I wanted to welcome him."

Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing!

"Dennis said what?!" he gasped. "Oh no, this is bad…"

* * *

Everywhere Arthur went, he could hear others asking about this "new engine". At long last, Arthur came across Dennis taking his usual nap.

"Wake up, you!" Arthur snapped. The gray diesel groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Could you keep it down, Artie?" he grumbled. "I've worked hard all morning and I need my beauty sleep."

"What's the big idea spreading rumors like this?" Arthur demanded. "How dare you mention to everyone about a new engine when it's not even true?"

"How was _I_ supposed to know we weren't getting a new engine?" Dennis retorted. "_You're_ the one who told me about Clarence without properly stating what you meant."

"Now I have to straighten this out," Arthur grumbled. "Exactly who did you tell this to?"

"Whatever engines managed to pass me by," Dennis admitted.

"That doesn't help much, does it?" retorted Arthur. "Which engines specifically?"

"Well, there was Rosie, Whiff, Murdoch, and I believe the trucks overheard this too."

_Oh no,_ Arthur thought to himself. _Trucks will say **anything**, and soon the whole island will fall for this misunderstanding!_

Before Dennis could talk again, Arthur raced away.

"Well, he's in a right hurry today," Dennis muttered to himself. "Ah well, back to my nap."

* * *

Arthur, meanwhile, soared down the mainline.

"I must tell Sir Topham Hatt before this rumor spreads even farther," he panted. "I just hope that Murdoch and Whiff were the only other engines to have heard about this rumor."

* * *

Arthur came across Whiff collecting rubbish at Kellsthorpe station.

"Hello there, Arthur," Whiff greeted. "Have you heard any news about this new engine Clarence?"

"I have," said Arthur, "but who did you tell about this?"

"I ran into Stanley on the way here," Whiff explained, "so I told him about it."

"Well, I'm sorry to say that there is no new engine coming at present," Arthur stated, puffing off again. "I'll explain it fully later!" The red tank engine had already left before Whiff had a chance to respond.

"What's gotten into him?"

* * *

Arthur was in such a hurry to clear this misunderstanding up that he wasn't watching where he was going. Up ahead, Murdoch had been stopped at a signal. Suddenly, he heard a familiar whistle from behind. Arthur finally looked ahead and saw Murdoch's train in his path.

"Look out!" he cried, braking hard. Thankfully, the signalman switched the points just in time to avoid a collision.

"What are you playing at, Arthur?" Murdoch demanded as Arthur slowed to a stop next to him. "You could have caused an accident!"

"I'm terribly sorry about this, Murdoch," said Arthur. "I was in such a state after hearing Dennis spreading rumors about this Clarence nonsense."

"You've heard of the new engine too?" Murdoch asked.

"There is no new engine named Clarence," Arthur insisted. "It's a long, complicated story, but I'll explain it better once you and everyone else who heard of this are gathered back at Vicarstown station."

"Erm, okay then," said Murdoch.

* * *

Before long, engines and people had gathered at Vicarstown station as requested. Sir Topham Hatt was among the gatherers.

"I've heard," he began, "that everyone has been talking about a new engine named Clarence coming to Sodor. I can assure you that it is not true. However did this rumor get started?"

"Allow me to explain, sir," said Arthur. So the big red tank engine told everyone the whole story of his past life as Clarence. Everyone was rather surprised to hear this.

"So _that's_ what this whole thing was about?" Dennis asked. "Why didn't you just tell us Clarence was your previous name?"

"I was too ashamed and afraid of being made fun of," Arthur confessed. "I thought that if anyone knew who I used to be, they would call me a hypocrite on how I try to follow all the rules nowadays."

"Nobody's perfect, Arthur," Rosie insisted. "We all have our own embarrassing faults. But the best thing to do is not let them get the best of you. Just be happy for the good you accomplish, and people will accept you no matter what."

Hearing this made Arthur feel a bit better.

"And to think," he said, "this whole misunderstanding could have easily been prevented if I had just owned up sooner. But from now on, I promise never to keep secrets like that again."

* * *

That evening, Arthur was parked at his shed with Molly.

"Feel better to finally get that out of your system?" she asked.

"Much better," Arthur smiled. "Thank you for convincing me to tell everyone."

"I'm just glad to help my friend out," said Molly. "You probably would have done the same thing. Hopefully, this kind of thing never happens again."

"And hopefully," Arthur added, "Dennis will learn not to spread rumors like that without thinking properly."

"You can say that again," Molly chuckled. "Though if he doesn't straighten up, what say we do to him what Gordon did to Thomas when he got a little cheeky?"

Arthur laughed. "I think that would be going a bit overboard," he insisted. "But it is worth a _tease_ threat."

The two engines laughed and went to sleep. And I'm happy to say that after this, Arthur would never keep an important secret like that again. Whenever anything came up, he would be sure to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Arthur could only hope that other engines would follow his example and become more honest and open as well.

But we can't always get what we want, can we?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

I think this story marks a real first for me in that save for a few mentions, there are no Awdry-created engines making an appearance. Those who do appear were introduced around the series 7-11 period, and most of them appearing, if not all, are largely neglected characters and have yet to appear in CGI (barring Rosie, Whiff and Stanley, though Dennis did come pretty close around 2011). This story doesn't have a specific placement; it can take place any time between _Hero of the Rails_ and _The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor_.

So what are my takes on the three stars of the story? Arthur is very much like he is in the show, although he absorbs some of Fergus' personality by trying to follow the rules as best as possible, especially after wanting to change his ways for the better following his accident years ago, and he can be a bit high-strung and fussy about how things should be, but he's still a good engine at heart. Arthur's rebuild is inspired by an ongoing project by the Bluebell Railway to convert a BR Standard Class 2 tender engine into a tank engine as none of the Class 2 tanks are preserved; this engine will be number 84030 when completed. In addition, he was originally going to be named Clarence (his name upon first firing before renaming himself after a rebuild), but he was given the name Arthur by Luke Sharp in honor of his grandfather.

With Molly, I wanted to make her stand out more from Rebecca; Molly's personality is that she's a lot more soft-spoken, but will speak up if a situation is serious, often serving as the peacekeeper. Hopefully I've put that to good use. In addition, as the story implies, Molly is transgender. As Marvin, I figure that his/her original livery would've been green, in a similar livery to Flying Scotsman in the TV series. Marvin means "sea hill" while Molly means "star of the sea", so I thought the former was the closest male equivalent to the latter that began with M.

And as for Dennis, as I've established in _The International Railway Series_, he lives at Vicarstown and takes Norman's place in the series. He's still lazy, but not to the extent of delaying trains, but mostly he's a bit more laid back in contrast to Arthur's workaholic personality, sort of a reversal dynamic to India's Rajiv and Shankar. Dennis can, however, get grouchy if he doesn't get enough sleep, although he does sometimes bring that upon himself by staying up late or grumbling out loud at night. Still, he works hard at his best, though he can suffer from mechanical problems which hinder his performance, and some engines can't tell if he's being serious or making an excuse to get out of work.

More stories to come!


End file.
